35mm for M9

[bradhusick]

Sean Reid (www.reidreviews.com) does a nice job comparing Leica and non-Leica lenses. It's a paid site but I recommend it, and if his information helps you buy the right lenses, you will save much more than the cost of his site.

Remember, a full frame M9 will "stress" test the lenses even more since we're using the whole image rather than a crop from the lens image circle.

 

[Terry]

Leica Summilux 35/1.4 is so expensive....
I can't afford it right now, that is why I want to buy voigtlander 35/1.4 first, then after I have enough money, I will get the summilux
I want to see some example from it.

thx

When the Voigtlander was released there were definite problems with it on the M8 with focus shift and I believe soft corners. The problems on the M8 would probably be worse on the M9.

http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=884&highlight=35+nokton

 

[etrigan63]

If you're buying an M9 you presumably care about image quality. Why use anything less than a Leica lens on it?

Because I can only donate so much blood and have a limited amount of children to indenture. Brad, getting an M8 even at today's prices is a stretch for most folks, yours truly included. I am saving and scrimping where I can to do this, but even at used prices, unless the lens is beaten to death, you are still talking in excess of $1000 per lens.

When I had my M8, I had mostly CV glass and one Zeiss. In fact, the only Leica glass I owned was a Tri-Viewfinder. Don't sell CV glass short, it does a wonderful job out-resolving anything CaNikOlySonTax can offer and for a fraction of the cost of Zeiss or Leica glass.

I am not saying that Leica glass is overrated, it isn't. It's quite spectacular. Unmatched, honestly. But affordable, hardly.

In the process of M8 re-acqiuisition, I picked up a nice (LNIB) used CV 35mm Nokton f/1.4 for $350. Very hard to argue.

 

[bradhusick]

Carlos, you are absolutely right. Thank goodness there are choices out there, and most of them are better than most of the new stuff made for DSLRs. Plus, the "good" glass from Canon and Nikon is pricey.

Don't forget about older Leica glass - I have a couple of gems from 40+ years ago that cost a few hundred each. They each have a unique "personality" in the way they draw.

By the way, upon re-reading my post, doesn't it sound like a good ad for Leica? "If you're buying an M9 you presumably care about image quality. Why use anything less than a Leica lens on it?" I would be happy to sell this ad copy to Leica for a new set of Summiluxes.

 

[archivue]

If you're buying an M9 you presumably care about image quality.

please never try an alpa with a digital back and digital lens in bright light, you will be shocked... everything is a compromise !

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

I got a 35mm cron asph and after a while sold the rest (kept an old 50mm Russian lens)

 

[innerimager]

My black 35 lux asph had been great on the M8 and film M's. Focus shift is barely detectable in tests, and undetectable in real images. It's one of the great lenses IMO, and one reason to get the M9, the 75 lux being the other for my taste. best...Peter

 

[Paratom]

Did some quick&dirty comparisons between my old 35cron and the 35lux asph at f2 and revise my last thread. The 35lux asph is much better at f2, the older 35 cron doesnt look well at all at f2 an the M9.
I am re-exploring the 35asph lux now. For some reason focus shift doesnt appear as much of a problem as it has been in earlier times with my M8. But I have to further shoot to find out how it really works.

 

[tashley]

In terms of non-Leica options: I like the CV 35 2.5 Skopar very much on the M8. It is small and sharp (even in the corners). I do not have the M9 yet, so I can't tell how it performs in the corners of a full frame.

My sample, which I always loved on my M8, is very soggy to the corners on the M9 and only sharpens up there at around F8 to 11 at which point the diffraction has kicked in to ruin the rest of the image. Not recommended.

 

[ampguy]

I've used the V4 cron, and asph cron side by side on full frame with very little differences to note. The asph cron has a bit more contrast, but is also a tad larger than the v3 and v4 pre-asph crons, if size is a concern.

What I'm wondering is how the beloved 35mm cron version IV stacks up with the ASPH version or the Lux version with the M9. I sure like it on my M8 and anxious to try out all three on the M9 when I received it.